Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists hosts Ken O'Keefe for a talk on Jewish Power

Church sanctioned hate in Berkeley, of all places.

According to their website, the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists is a progressive spiritual community that stands proudly as a beacon for social justice.  BFUU has twice received the “Moral Beacon” Award from the Pacific Central District of the Unitarian Universalist Association, for its “extraordinary courage and commitment in the work of creating a better world.”

On March 20 this "beacon of social justice" proudly sponsored notorious anti-Semite Ken O'Keefe .
The BFUU was not simply renting out a space- they took an active role promoting O'Keefe on their mailing list, their facebook page

as well as on their community calendar.

O'Keefe  is current touring the US on what he calls his  "F**k the TSA/Homeland Security tour".  He was introduced by Vic Sadot of the BFUU Social Justice committee. His talk at the BFUU was laced with unfiltered profanity

The Unitarian Universalists in Berkeley have jumped feet-first into the anti-Semitic swimming hole with this action, and are now find themselves complicit in the promotion of abhorrent blood libels, conspiracy theories, and pure unadulterated hate.

At the event, Ken O'Keefe proudly declared   "I'm honored to be labeled a terrorist by Israel. I'm honored to be labeled an anti-Semitic by the ADL.",and expressed his disappointment that no one came to protest his event.

Early in the talk, O'Keefe stated "If there's one group on the planet you really can't criticize its pretty damn obvious. I'm sure everyone is just waiting for that word to come out", before launching into his tirade on the parallels between Jewish and American supremacism.

From his abashed support for the misunderstood and misrepresented Nazis to his admiration for the Syrian Butcher Assad who "did his job admirably", Ken O'Keefe's hate flowed with ease.   "We can't use certain words. Language has become manipulated. Political correctness is the order of the day and people like me are supposed to be vilified because I'm anti-Semitic... My problem with Judaism is based on my anti-supremacist perspective", adding  "the people I'm allegedly against aren't even Semitic They don't come from that region. They don't even speak Hebrew. Ashkenazi Jews come from the Caspian basin"

His vile unhinged and  unsubstantiated accusations were met by an appreciative audience, which included his fellow traveler on the 2010 Gaza flotilla, Paul Larudee

Spoken by Ken O'Keefe,  at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists:

"Those that are effectively running the world primarily through the financial system are psychopaths, sociopaths. Many of them, if not all of them are pedophiles. Many of them are involved in something as nasty sadistic and untouchable as f**ing little boys and little girls before they sacrifice them."

"The system is almost totally controlled by Jewish bankers"

"The Jewish supremacist state of Israel largely adheres to Talmudic Judaism and boy oh boy lets get into some religious texts that are obscene as you could imagine".

People who don't understand that "the power structure within Israel is operating largely within Talmudic dictates are naive" 

These  "Talmudic dictates" are  " the authoritative document for the Jewish supremacists who are running the country" according to Ken O'Keefe. O'Keefe  included a sickening array of lies too vile to be repeated.

Lest you assume he distinguishes between "Jews" and  "Zionists", O'Keefe added  "The Jewish people are collectively responsible for the Jewish state".

That Ken O'Keefe is capable of spewing such venomous hate and lies is unsurprising. What is shocking, however is that the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists would promote it and give it legitimacy.

Let the BFUU know how you feel. Leave them on a comment on their Facebook page, give them a call at (510) 841-4824 or write them a note at 1924 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA 94709. 

Greta Berlin and Friends Berkeley hate fest part 2

Guest post by Emunah

“Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right’

An hour and a half of just listening to accusations of organ theft, of not being “real Semites”, of rich and powerful Jews controlling information and government was personally exhausting.  This  glimpse into the dark soul of anti-Israel activism revealed, as suspected, a core of  festering anti-Semitism.

It wasn't a surprise.  It wasn't just Greta Berlin’s now infamous tweet, or the cover-up that changed day to day. It wasn’t her step daughter Ava’s admission about the depth of Greta’s hatred .  For me, years of observing the seething anti-Semitism on the streets- and the silence of those who stood by exposed the “peace” movement for what it really was.

Illumination came to the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists in the unexpected form of a young Occupy activist, “Beth”.  Beth had been invited to the Fellowship by Janet Kobren, a flotilla participant, currently active in Occupy. Beth was invited with the expectation that she  “might learn something”.

Beth  spoke during the Question and Answer  period.

 “Hi. I appreciate all the work that is being done on behest  of the Palestinians. But I came here on the behest of Janet. She thought that I might learn things that I didn't know. I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know.  And I support the Palestinians. I support BDS. I support the flotilla. But recently there was an incident where someone in this room wrote on our non-violent list serve, that all Jews are immoral and that all Jews are secret Zionists... “

( At this point, Joseph Anderson, an audience member began screaming   "Not true, not true” )

She continued

 “... there is a danger of the mainstream  media goes totally to the right and defends Israel to no end, and won't point out any of the issues, but there is a problem on the left of going so far that anyone one who is even - when you talk about a 1 state solution, I have not heard of the particulars of how two groups, who are in this conflict and hate each other for 60 years are going to live side by side. And I've heard also there are many states that have divided into ethnic countries. Now I'm accused of being a Zionist, of being a Zionist, for saying that I believe a 2 state solution, is a better solution. So, what I'm saying is if you want the Jews to support the Palestinians,  you can't deny the history of the anti-Semitism, that started when Jesus was labeled as killed by the Jews. “

Joseph’s response ?  A variation on the theme of “all my best friends are Jews” , He then accused the young woman of being a plant and an agent provocateur .

Full disclosure:  Joseph Anderson (posting as JA on the various Indymedia sites) was alleged to have written a rant, justifying the collective punishment of the Jewish people worldwide:

“Personally, I *EXULT* everytime I see an Israeli Jew bite the dust. And the same goes for their American cousins! EVERY SINGLE JEW EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD is a just and appropriate target for anti-colonialist liberation! We need to start targeting *EVERY* synagogue, *EVERY* Jew community center, school and everywhere else that you racist devils preach and propogate your agenda.
BOUT  TO MEET YO MAKER, JEWBOY? HA, HA HA!!!!!!!!!!”

There are people on all sides of the political spectrum that question his mental stability

He began:

 “.. First of all, I come from a people that also suffered for centuries at the hands of Christians and often Jews. And no amount of suffering entitles anyone to go take, dispossess or be given  the land of another people.... Second of all, let me say I've had anti-Zionist, Jewish roommates and friends for at least 20 years. My first roommate was an anti-Zionist Jew. I've been friends with a majority of Jews in this room, for quite some time. So, for you to say, that I called all Jews immoral, is patently ridiculous. So, for my question, you know Malcom X said about the false accusation of anti-Semitism is that' that stick don't hurt me' and that's how I've conducted myself. And ironically I've been very rarely called an anti-Semite because, if Zionists tried to do something, I don't care. The other thing we have to realize with regard to the enforcement arm of the Lobby, if I were in charge of that, I would send people out on the left, to work on the left.”

 Beth attempted to have her voice  heard. Again.  She was under the impression that this was meant to be a discussion of anti-Semitism and Zionism

“This is supposed to be on anti-Semitism and Zionism… you are not allowing… to speak…You've had 3 speakers for an hour on 1 perspective and the one person who has a different… you wouldn't let speak for more than a minute.”

Alison dismissed her . “This happens frequently. There will be one person that thinks that they are entitled. That they are more important than everybody else in the whole room.”

Soon the audience joined in the attacks- threatening to call the police on her.

One patronizingly demanded, “Will you be quiet miss?”

“No. I will not,” she answered.  “Because this has been stacked with the Palestinian perspective.”

Greta Berlin, Alison Weir and Jeff Blankfort at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian  Universalists Oct 18, 2012.  Where Beth, a sensitive and involved Occupy activist learns that “groupthink” is alive and well on the fringe left, and that for them, "justice" means  "Just us".

Greta Berlin and friends: Berkeley hate-fest

(Guest post by DrMike and Emunah)

Berkeley, the home of the Free Speech Movement, is a city known for its devotion to various liberal/radical causes.  But those who preached against war and prejudice might well wonder what has happened when an otherwise liberal church has aligned itself with raw anti-Semitism.  

The Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists brought the notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon to town a few years ago  and faced a community protest.  A supporter of Atzmon showed up with a Hassan Nasrallah  shirt and a  Hamas flag. Nasrallah has called for the genocide of the Jewish people, saying  “If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide. (Daily Star, Oct. 23, 2002)  Since when is incitement to genocide a Unitarian value?   Atzmon delivered as expected- and people left his talk in tears, upset by his intolerance and hatred.  Can't say that we didn't warn them. 

Attorney Stephen Pearcy is wearing ashirt featuring Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the militant group Hezbollah,  who has  commented: “If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice I do not say the Israeli.”

Now one might think that after this fiasco that the BFUU had learned its lesson.  Apparently, though, they have decided that promotion of anti-Semitism is one of their values.  In the wake of the Greta Berlin controversy, in which the leader of the Free Gaza Movement was found to have repeatedly and deliberately promoted Holocaust denial and Nazi propaganda, Berlin found herself unwelcome not only across the internet but also in person.  When the likes of Ali Abunimah, Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine--who promote vicious lies about Israel and compare Gazans to Jewish victims of the Nazis-- denounce you for anti-Semitism, you know you've gone way past the point of no return. So Berlin's speaking engagements to promote her book began to disappear.  Enter the BFUU, which decided to host Berlin after a well-respected bookstore in Marin County cancelled her appearance.  They weren't alone-- a Marin group called 14 Friends of Palestine, whose leader Jane Jewell has promoted a lame excuse that Berlin's computer was hacked and who also posts admiringly on Atzmon's website, came on board to co-sponsor the event.  Jane stood gleefully in the BUU, selling t-shirts and absorbing the hate.

Not content to have only Berlin speak, the BFUU then invited two other charter members of the "not only do we hate Israel, we're not so keen on Jews" club--Alison Weir  and Jeffrey Blankfort.  And they had the unmitigated gall to title the evening "On Zionism and Anti-Semitism".

Though Berlin was visibly disappointed that there were fewer than 2 dozen people in attendance, we're happy to help spread her words, as well as Weir's and Blankfort's, to a wider audience.  Because when confronted by Jew-hatred and lies, it's important to out, name and shame not only the perpetrators, but those who facilitate them.

On October 18 , the BFUU hosted Greta Berlin, Alison Weir and Jeff Blankfort in a talk on anti-Semitism and Zionism.  This is the first part of our summary of the talk

The BFUU’s own Rev. Ben Myers began the talk with a sincere blessing for dialog and communication. Rev Myers led the room in song evoking Rabbi Nachman of Breslav’s teaching that the whole world is a narrow bridge.  The main thing is to not to fear at all.   He left the hall before the speakers began.  It was a smart choice.

Greta’s handlers were very carefully not to let her speak about her most current outing as a card-carrying holocaust denier.  Greta’s time was limited to discussing her book “Freedom Sailors”., the story of the first blockade-running flotilla to Gaza.   She discussed the role of Texas Activist Riad Hamad in organizing the flotilla and  his $25,000 donation of matching funds to help buy the boat.  Its a generous amount of money for a middle school teacher to have at his disposal. She discussed how his suicide was inadvertently caught on camera, though she neglected to mention how he had clumsily taped his mouth and bound his hands together in an effort to implicate the “Zionists” in his death.  She discussed readily lying on her press releases in an effort to mislead the Israelis.  Greta’s world  appears to be truth optional- facts be damned if they don't advance her ideology.

Even before the flotilla departed there was trouble. Then as now, infighting plagued the anti-Israeli activists. Greta declared: 

“When the boats finally arrived on the 21st of August, nobody was talking to anybody else. Because we were mad at the Greeks. The Greeks hated the Americans. The Americans hated the Greeks. We had boat people vs. land people. If you get 2 activists in a room, you get 14 opinions.  If you get  44 activists in a room, you get a war, I'm not kidding.”

After arrival in Gaza, Greta described how “ the Palestinians took care of us for 5 days. “.

Greta Berlin greeting her minions in Gaza

 Indeed they did.  As Paul Larudee reported  in his talk on the flotilla in Hayward, a while back:

“It was a huge celebration. It was just amazing After that it was Palestinian hospitality run amok. They put us in the best hotels. They still have nice hotels there... The prime Minister and his entire cabinet invited us to dinner near his home...it was right after the Olympics you remember so he gave us all medals that said “Free Gaza”...one honor after the other....”    This was in what they allege is the world's largest outdoor prison, and an equivalent to Auschwitz

Free Gaza  and Ismail Haniyeh

 

 Greta is convinced of the success of her mission, saying  "We made them 3 promises before we left."

#1 - We would return.

#2 - We would take out Palestinians. And

#3    We would make sure that the world would know.

"And we have done all 3 of those. Gaza has been put on the map because of the Free Gaza Movement. Viva Palestina, the Global March to Jerusalem, the Gaza Freedom March. None of those would have happened had it not been for Free Gaza. "

Shhh. Don't tell Greta- all of those high profile publicity stunts have been abject failures.

Later:: Alison Weir on anti-Semitism

Lily Haskell of AROC Revisited

As a passive activist and full-time anarcho-Zionist, it's my duty to keep tabs on the haters - persons & things: Becky O'Malley, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, The Berkeley Daily Planet, The Anti-Zionist Network (comprised mostly of self-loathing Jews, sadly), and of course my non-friend, Lily Haskell.

So I did a search on her name. She's still in the top 5 hits, though she appears on another fellow Zionist's blog, At the Back of the Hill. Still, 2 hits in the top 5 is impressive.

Let's continue. My second search was "Lily Haskell" in google images. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE:

FIRST PHOTO, TOP LEFT (how suiting, for her to be on "the left").



Lily Haskell aka Lily Aida Haskell aka Elizabeth Haskell

See: DISGRUNTLED JIHADI KIDS


xposted to In The Gloaming

SHAME ON THE BFUU

Well guess what? The same "church" that hosted rabid Jew hater *Gilad Atzmon, just recently showed the grotesquely biased and prejudiced film titled Occupation 101. Guess they just love to bash Israel, Zionists and Jews, eh? Those peace luvin' UUs have a hard on for terrorists...I mean 'freedom fighters.'

CAMERA - AKA Committee for Accurately Reporting Middle East Reporting in America, wrote up a more than decent review of this anti-Israel propaganda film back in early January 2008:

Film Review: Occupation 101

Bunch of cretins, this particular batch of Unitarians.


*See:

HATE: CHURCH SANCTIONED IN BERKELEY

ANTI-SEMITISM IN BERKELEY - THE BFUU AND GILAD ATZMON

UNITARIANS, GILAD ATZMON, HAMAS FLAG? BERKELEY!

STEPHEN PEARCY AND JOSEPH ANDERSON AT THE BFUU

MORE ABOUT GILAD ATZMON

BFUU - sorry, so sorry, so very very sorry! Sorry!

On Monday June 8, 2009, the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists hosted Gilad Atzmon, an ex-Israeli who writes and promotes classically anti-Semitic opinions.

[Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar Street at Bonita, Berkeley.]


Gilad Atzmon is, fortunately, the best representative of Gilad Atzmon


QUOTE:
"Throughout the centuries, Jewish bankers bought for themselves some real reputations of backers and financers of wars, and even one communist revolution. Though rich Jews had been happily financing wars using their assets, Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States, found a far more sophisticated way to finance the wars perpetrated by his ideological brothers Libby and Wolfowitz."
END QUOTE

While this statement is in many ways a classic anti-Semitic canard, the modern-day accusation that Alan Greenspan somehow has an agenda straight out of the Protocols is utterly bizzare.


QUOTE:
"I would suggest that perhaps we should face it once and for all: the Jews were responsible for the killing of Jesus who, by the way, was himself a Palestinian Jew. …..Why is it that the Jews who repeatedly demand that the Christian world should apologise for its involvement in previous persecutions, have never thought that it is about time that they apologised for killing Jesus?"
END QUOTE

Gilad Atzmon and his patrons at the BFUU should perhaps reread the New Testament. There were four witnesses who avered that the Romans executed Jesus, using a particularly Roman method. Of course, those four witnesses (Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John) were Jews, so perhaps they cannot be believed.....
Certainly they would not be lent an ear at the BFUU, which instead prefers to listen to Converted Jews, Wiccan Jews, Gone Pagan Jews, Bizzaro Jews, and Self-hating Jews.
Oh, and anti-Semites.


QUOTE:
"I'm not going to say whether it is right or not to burn down a synagogue, I can see that it is a rational act."
END QUOTE

It is likely that Gilad Atzmon would prefer that the synagogue be burned down with the Jews still in it, but he'll probably settle for burning empty synagogues if he has to.


Sources for the quotes above were mister Atzmon's own writings, which can be found like a cancer all over the internet.
As if that's not enough, Atzmon also supports a holocaust denier in the UK named Paul Eisen, as well as the notorious Swedish fascist writing under the pen name "Israel Shamir", who insisted that the Jews indeed slaughtered Christian children for their blood, and claimed that "Auschwitz was an internment facility, attended by the Red Cross" - Atzmon called Shamir "a unique and advanced thinker".
Much like he himself no doubt is.


The BFUU "concert" was co-sponsored by the church's Social Justice Committee and two anti-Israel groups: Bay Area Women in Black and International Solidarity Movement. The BFUU claimed not to have been aware of Atzmon's promotion of hate speech when they agreed to host the event, but they were made aware of all of it more than a week before the date and they refused to cancel.


The spirited protest in front of the church that evening remained peaceful, except for several supporters of Gilad Atzmon - who may have been members in good standing of the church. As I am not privy to the inner machinations of Israel-bashers, church-related or otherwise, I cannot say.
One of the Atzmon supporters carried a Hamas banner and wore a Sheikh Nasrallah t-shirt, potent testimony to his peaceful nature and desire for an equitable solution to the Jewish question.


More about the blessed event can be read here:
http://www.bluetruth.net/2009/06/atzmon-in-berkeley-redux.html
Also here:
http://www.bluetruth.net/2009/06/staring-evil-in-face-gilad-atzmon-at.html
And here:
http://www.bluetruth.net/2009/05/bay-area-women-in-black-they-hate.html
As well as here:
http://deathbynoodles.blogspot.com/2009/06/racist-whiteys-at-bfuu-plus-gilad.html
And here as well:
http://deathbynoodles.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-on-earth-are-bfuu-thinking.html


Since that evening, a dialogue event was held between members of the Church and the pro-Israel element, at which a talking stone was passed around and several people spoke of how hurt they were by the negative publicity.

We feel their pain.

This totally opportunistic re-hashing of the entire ghastly mess should serve to indicate how sorry this particular writer feels about it all.

Sincerely.

You may go ahead and turn your other cheek any time now.